Courage
by themiller
Summary: Link returns to Hyrule after years of searching for a lost friend...
1. Prologue

**A/N: That's right everyone. I'm diving into the realm of Hyrule.**

**Cuz imma motha huggin Zelda freak.**

**Deal with it.**

**On note that actually relates to the plot—**

**Set after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.**

* * *

Link sighed heavily. Just ahead was the edge of the Lost Woods.

Here was the final choice. Though he had already decided on his course of action, stepping foot outside of the forest where he had spent the last three years of his life was a daunting task; made all the more so by the fact that it meant he was truly and forever giving up his quest.

He had to accept the fact that Navi had abandoned him; he had a feeling that he knew why.

It was the same reason he was giving up the search for his lost friend.

_Her._

Throughout his entire adventure through Termina, he had thought of her. At first, he couldn't figure out why. Link had often felt tears spring to his eyes when he played upon the Ocarina, and guilt had weighed heavily on his chest as the many women of Termina had audaciously flirted with him.

Then he had happened upon the Fierce Deity mask. When he had learned of its power, he had almost expected himself to fear it. Almost. But, in his heart, he knew that he would not.

During his time at Hyrule Castle, he had extensively researched the gift the Goddesses had bestowed upon him. The most direct results he discovered were in a book a few hundred years old, written by one of the many Zelda's found throughout Hyrule's history.

Within the text, which was an analysis of the nature of Hylians, a chapter upon courage was found. In it, the long-dead queen discussed the most simplistic understanding of courage—the ability to overcome fear. It was not, the queen assured, and absence of fear. No being of any race would desire that, for rational fear spawns wisdom, just as wisdom spawns rational fear. An absence of fear would likely result in foolhardiness or total recklessness, without any regard for life in any form, be it the being in question or any other living things in the knowledge of the being. This was most certainly not something that could be profitable.

Link resisted the urge to smile. It seemed that, once again, he was the exception to a rule.

Link had never in his life experienced fear. As always, the Goddesses seemed more intent on cursing than blessing, if the ancient queen's words had any truth.

Of course, fear was a natural emotion for a Hylian. A rather large natural emotion that simply didn't exist within the Hero of Time.

It was an essential part of being a living being. And yet, Link lacked it.

When Link had discovered this about himself, he had wondered if the Goddesses had taken a truly enormous capacity for emotion away from him.

It was a thought that nagged him, ate at his brain, constantly.

And then, as he held the Fierce Deity mask for the first time, he had realized what the Goddesses had done.

He supposed it was Farore's doing. When she had communicated with him, she had always seemed slightly mischevious, an honest reflection of his own personality.

It seemed to him as though the creators of Hyrule had simply taken all capacity within him that could have possibly been used for fear and transferred it into his capacity for the most powerful of human emotions—love.

And it also seemed as though most of that capacity for love was used on one particular princess.

With that thought, he shook himself, and took a step forward, pulling Epona with him as he left the Lost Woods, and Navi, behind.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so, I realize this wasn't **_**really**_** Link/Zelda centric, but realize that this is not a oneshot! It continues!**

**For those that have read some of my other stuff, I promise that I'll actually finish this one!**

**And for those of you who like my other stuff (particularly Yj), I promise I'm not done with that either. I'm just trying something new on for size. A writer has to expand his/her repertoire, after all.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: And so, we have Chapter 1…**

**Please review—it gives me the **_**feels**_** when I read a review.**

* * *

He smelt the beasts before he saw them.

It was strange. He hadn't seen Stalchildren in years. Yet he would recognize that stench of pure death anywhere.

Even disregarding his false assumption that Stalchildren no longer inhabited the fields of Hyrule, it was entirely his own fault for happening upon them. When he had first left the Lost Woods, he had spent and inordinate amount of time reflecting upon his adventures since leaving the alternate world of Termina. To put it lightly, he was now sure that he knew more than the Princess of Destiny herself—he had seen entire continents that were continents away from his beloved Hyrule. All to find Navi.

And all in vain.

However, now he was nearly home, and this weak band of creatures was merely a distraction.

If that.

His practiced hand drew the Hero's Blade with ease. It had been forged in the fires of Mount Parvulus by craftsmen that would have put the smiths of Termina to shame. He had described his desired appearance to the great smiths in absolute detail: from the serrated royal blue hilt, to the flying wings of the cross guard, the immaculate emerald placed at the point where blade met hilt, and the flowing, bluish metal, inscribed with the symbol of the Triforce, which had been modified to include the symbol of the Kokiri Forest, placed in the center of the three golden triangles.

A near perfect replica of his favored blade, right down to the precise weight and balance.

It merely lacked the magic and obvious presence the Master Sword bore; the Blade of Evil's Bane had a sort of intelligence about it. It seemed to stick to his hand in battle, despite the sweat pouring across his hands, and several times he had walked into a surprisingly dangerous spot, only to find the sword already in hand, despite his arm never having left his side.

Of course, it had been years since he had held the Sword of Time; this replica had been forged when the Gilded Sword had become too small for his rapidly growing body. The Hero's Blade had been imbued with powerful magicks—apparently, it was guaranteed to never break, rust, shatter, or even scratch.

The soft sound of the metal passing the leather of its scabbard, though nearly inaudible to most ears, was apparently enough to alert the small skeletons to the Hero's presence. Link could have been quieter, but he preferred the challenge offered by enemies that were aware of his presence.

He stood stock still, awaiting his first attacker. The Stalchild that reached him first made the mistake of being nearly five steps ahead of the rest of his band; a quick, easy upward slice of the unbreakable blade relieved the now lifeless body of its head. The rest, learning instantly, changed pace in order to attack as one.

Not that it made a difference.

The Hero of Time performed a quick slice to the torso of one, dispatching it easily. An instant reversal of direction of the blade caught another of guard, and the top half of its head was soon rolling down the hillside. Link continued the slight upward motion, then again reversed his momentum for a down slice, cutting a Stalchild perfectly in two. The last beast, which had been attempting to sneak up behind him, was dispatched by a quick turn of the torso and a relaxation of the muscles in Link's elbow, creating a spring-like effect on his arm, which in turn caused the two remaining halves of the creature to fly ten feet in the air.

Link nodded in satisfaction. He had managed to keep his feet in one place the entire time, minimalizing effort and expenditure of energy.

He then returned to his horse, and continued onward towards the great castle looming in the distance.

Link glared at the man standing before him. The man, to his credit, wilted only slightly, and obviously refused to be intimidated. "No matter what you say, sir, I won't be a-changing mah price… s-sir."

Link could barely believe it. Here he was, the Hero of Time, Chosen of the Goddesses, Saviour of Termina, Salvation of Hyrule, and the man who had given him his trusty steed didn't even recognize him to the point that he was charging him for being a foreigner.

Of course, Link wasn't really surprised that Talon didn't recognize him. When Link had purchased Epona, Talon had merely believed that Link was a rich boy clad in green who happened to have awakened him in front of the castle.

The term "Hero of Time" meant nothing to these people.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Take the money," shoving the fifty rupees into the ranch owner's hand, "but know that any chance of me buying from you again is nonexistent."

He patted Epona's nose one last time before leaving her in the temporary care of the rancher, heading off to the great Hyrule Castle.

"Goddammit, man, just tell the princess that Link is here!" he exclaimed, practically shaking in frustration at the guard's bullheadedness.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I ain't never heard of no Link, and I'm pretty damn sure the princess'd say the same if she was standing with us too. So I'm afraid that I'm gonna hafta askya ta leave, sir."

Link sighed, then grasped the hilt of his blade. "I just want you to know—I'm sorry, but I feel as though Zelda has waited on me long enough."

During Link's travels, he had gone to countless lands. And those countless lands had shown him countless new things. Among those countless new things were new extremely useful sword techniques that Link often found use for in battle. This particular one he had found in Oyashima, an island nation that was renowned for its skills with the sword. It allowed him to conquer any enemy in one stroke.

The guard looked at Link in confusion, but Link was busy drawing upon the flow of magic throughout his body. The magic within him tended to want to be released quickly, generally in the form of Din's Fire or Farore's Wind, two spells the Hero had made extensive use of throughout his adventures. However, this magic needed to be contained, coiled…

Suddenly, the world slowed down. It was as if everyone around him, in this case the lone soldier guarding the giant gate to the castle, were suddenly awkward, stupid, and slow.

With an ease that he knew was in actuality a speed matched by none in Hyrule, Link drew his blade, spun smoothly, and directed his weapon at the head of the poor guard. At the last second, he rotated his wrist ninety degrees, ensuring the poor man was merely knocked unconscious by the normally fatal blow. Then, as the magic was already open to him, he released a trickle of power, enabling him to teleport just to the other side of the gate. Link trudged up the hill, the great burst of power required to unleash the Mortal Draw not even removing a measurable fraction from his vast reservoir of power.

The guards' numbers had been greatly reduced, but Link assumed that this was due to the peace that had perpetuated the land since his departure Despite this sign of happiness in his beloved kingdom, the Hero was still angered at the lack of protection for his princess.

He stopped midstride. Even after all this time, he still referred to her as _his_. He only hoped she thought in the same terms.

He saw the guards standing before the steps leading up to the drawbridge. He supposed he could attempt to sneak past them, but he didn't think he'd fit into that hole in the side of the castle anymore. Much better to simply waltz in.

He walked up to the pair, and stated, "Hullo, my boys! If you would be so kind as to allow me to enter this castle…" He placed a hopeful grin on his face. He didn't expect it to work, but a man had to try.

"No? Well, I'll just let myself in…" He strode forward purposefully, but, as expected, the guards' halberds crossed in front of him, preventing access to the raised drawbridge.

"Alright then, gentlemen. I'm afraid I simply must see the princess. You see, I'm the hero of dozens of countries, including this one, and I really think she ought to see me!"

Following protocol to the letter, the halberds didn't move an inch.

_Well, _the hero thought to himself. _At least they're well trained._

He then revealed his ace, the one thing he had been leading up to, the purpose of his jaunty act.

He thrust his fist into the face of the guard on the right. The man didn't flinch. Link smiled, glad that Zelda had competent defenses, and then removed the gauntlet covering his weathered left hand. "You see this? Do you know what this is?"

Of course, our hero was talking about the three triangles resting upon his hand, a symbol forever marking him as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

While the guards may not have known the specifics, the recognized the mark of one of the Chosen when they saw one. The guard called out a quick, "Order, arms!", and the halberds were drawn back quickly. Another quick command, "Signal, arms!" and, in unison, the guards thumped their weapons against the flagstones. _Thump… Thump thump…_

The chains holding the drawbridge up suddenly released their tension, ever so slowly, and the drawbridge began lowering.

Link was suddenly reminded of a similar experience three years ago, five days after his fifteenth birthday. He had been attempting to meet with the recently crowned King of Holodrum, who had requested his presence, believing he had information pertaining to Link's search.

Link had eagerly approached the castle, hoping for fresh information, which he had been lacking for months. However, the guards at the gate had assumed he was an assassin due to the arsenal found on his back, but finally, after an hour of hashing things out, he had agreed to leave his weapons on the steps while he discussed matters with the king. The experience had proved worthless, as the King was revealed to have been gravely mistaken in his information about Link—he had been under the assumption Link was searching for a consort, and had been quick to offer his niece to a man who was almost certainly a knight in his eyes.

Link had apologized for the inconvenience and assured the king that, as of yet, he was not a knight. This had managed to convince the king that Link was not worthy of his niece, and that his search should most likely extend to Labrynna, or even Hyrule.

As an apology (though he wasn't sure why he was the one who was apologizing), Link had provided the king with a dowry for the girl, ensuring that money would never be an issue for the girl, no matter who she married.

The gift had barely put a dent in his cache; he had constructed a pocket dimension (ironically kept in his pocket) to house his vast funds, by this point far exceeding even the riches of the trade-savvy Punjabs. At the same time, it had still been a large investment, one that Link hoped would eventually pay off for Hyrule in some way.

As he remembered the experience, his only thought was that he hoped this meeting with a royal went much better.

* * *

**A/N: First things first—you'll notice that in the fight scene with the Stalchildren, Link never uses his signature spin attack.**

**Why, you ask?**

**Because, quite frankly, in a realistic setting, it is absurd to stick one's sword out and spin in a circle. Despite the many authors who exist in this world that insist upon including the ridiculous move, I believe that, in writing, artistic liberties must be taken in order to preserve both believability and dignity of the characters. **

**As such—NO SPIN ATTACK!**

**On another note, Oyashima is a reference to Japan, meaning 'great country of many islands', and if you don't get the Punjab reference...**

**Finally...**

**I know nothing really happened during this chapter, but I was really trying to introduce Link to you guys, give you a sense of who he is...**

**Let me know how i did!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Reunion yet?**

**Who knows? I certainly don't!**

* * *

"My queen, I'm afraid we have no choice. We simply must offer a knight of some value to Holodrum, as per the treaty your father signed decades ago when he first formed the kingdom of Hyrule."

Not for the first time that day, the former Princess of Hyrule sighed heavily. As much as she valued the years of peace she and her kingdom had enjoyed, she often wished her father had possessed more will when it came to negotiating terms of treaties.

In this case, King Harkinian Hyrule had agreed to provide the kingdom's finest bachelor knight when the Royal Family of Holodrum required a consort for one of its members. While it was an honor for anyone, especially the young man Zelda had in mind, this was perhaps the worst possible time to request such a thing.

The Princess of Destiny's natural affinity for precognition had come in handy more times than could possibly have been counted. It had ensured Hyrule's hard fought victory in the Imprisoning War against the mighty Ganondorf, as any tactical strategy the King of Evil devised was instantly revealed, analyzed, and countered by the Keeper of Wisdom.

Not for the first time, her intuition warned her of a time of great trial ahead. As always, the trials facing Hyrule involved her, but this time, it seemed to be centered around… something in green.

Realizing that she had yet to respond to Yenza, her foreign relations advisor, she met his eyes once more and prepared to give her thoughts on the matter. "My lord, what of Sir Zacharias? He is highly skilled and loved by many; qualities required, I think, in one chosen as a Royal Consort."

Yenza smiled wearily, no doubt having thought the same thing. "Indeed, Your Majesty. I shall arrange the convoy to deliver the Consort personally."

She allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. "Thank you, Lord Yenza."

The Lord of Foreign Relations bowed, taking his leave at her gentle wave. The Lords and Ladies of the Hylian Court seated at the High Table relaxed briefly in the intermission, mentally preparing themselves for the next case brought before them.

Zelda glanced at her herald, signaling to him to allow the next guest in.

A tall man in the bright blue robes of the Priests of Nayru strode forward. With a loud voice, he began the formal proclamations. "If it pleases Her Highness, the court now recognizes the honorable Lord Jefron, High Priest to Nayru Herself, Dispenser of Wisdom, Giver of Law, and—"

Just then, the doors burst open with a loud crash. A man of the Royal Guard stumbled in, looked up, and jumped in surprise, realizing he was interrupting the daily court proceedings. "My most humble apologies, Your Highness, but I'm afraid you're going to want to hear about this."

Zelda's eyes narrowed dangerously. It was an offense punishable by death to interrupt any proceedings of the court, particularly when a High Priest was involved, without a Just Cause, and she highly doubted that such a formal statement would come from a lowly member of the castle's guard.

The guard straightened his posture, brought his arms to his sides at the necessary position of attention, and started in, "If it pleases Her Highness, the court now abandons proceedings due to the formation of a Just Cause, altering either the case in question or the fate of Hyrule itself, in particular affecting the life and welfare of the High Queen, monarch chosen for Power by Din, Wisdom by Nayru, and Courage by Farore, hereby stated to have been brought forth this day, the sixth day before the Birthing of Renza, the year of the Goddesses thirteen-forty-two. "

Zelda smiled appreciatively. Apparently, no one was to be put to death in order to appease the will of the Goddesses, though she was still unsure about the welfare of the person who was interrupting her daily proceedings.

The Hylian Queen replied in the voice reflecting the wisdom of Nayru. "If thy Cause truly be Just, then the Law of Nayru dictates that all are hereby dismissed from the court, excluding all related to the Just Cause."

The guard nodded, and replied with the list of names. "The court shall retain the following vassals of the Chosen Queen: the Subject of the Just Cause."

Internally, Zelda was surprised. If the Cause were important enough to merit dismissal of all Lords and Ladies from court, then it most likely affected either her well-being, or, even more dangerous, the well-being of the succession of the Family Hyrule, rulers of the Hylian people. However, despite her worry over the nature of the Cause, she controlled her body language to show no surprise, a feat achieved by almost none other in the room. "By the Law of Nayru, this shall come to pass."

The members of the court instantly rose from their seats and exited the vast Throne Room, all making the necessary Triforce gesture over their hearts as the left the room, ensuring the protection of the Goddesses outside of the presence of the High Queen.

When the steps of the vassals finally faded, Zelda returned her gaze to the guard, and continued the proceedings. "Herald, bring forth the Subject of the Just Cause."

The guard strode to a position mere yards from the queen, suggesting that the Subject was nearly at her status in this court, implying the visit of a foreign dignitary. "If it pleases Her Highness, the court now recognizes the Subject of the Just Cause: Wolf of Farore, Guard of the Vessel of Light , Lord of Onitara, Vassal of Emperor Tylus, Keeper of the Peace of Labrynna, Master Engineer of Punjab, Highest Warden of the Kong Fuzi, Sentinel of the Shadow, Chief of the Tribe Without a Name, Custodian of the Yeomen of Time, Saviour of Termina, Slayer of the Mighty Ghoma,—". Zelda started with realization at that title, remembering the boy in green from her childhood. "…Master of the Fierce Deity, and Hero of the Imprisoning War. Link, Hero of Time." She gasped outright at his name, unable to control her surprise. _No,_ she thought frantically,_ it isn't possible. He abandoned m—I mean, Hyrule for Navi. He no longer belongs here. He __**can't**__ be here._

However, as the man in green strode in confidently with an easy gait she knew all too well, even after the years that had gone by, she knew in her heart that the herald spoke the truth.

"Well, Your Highness," Link said with a burst of sweet, melodic laughter. "It seems as though I've finally surpassed you in the longevity of my titles."

* * *

Link was pleased with the stunned look on his Princess's face. When she had released him from their bond to go search for Navi nine years ago, Zelda had obviously not expected him to return. It was the only reason she would have entrusted him with the Ocarina of Time. However, as he had galloped away on Epona, the Hero had known that eventually, unless he died in battle first, he would have to return to Zelda. The spell that she thought had released him from her had only placed a shadow over their bond for a few years. He was always aware of her, even as he traversed the world, even as he crossed into realms that no other eyes would see. He could always feel her presence, though he had taken measure, magical and physical, to ensure her side of the bond would not return until he did. And now, finally, he was back. And ready for his Princess, whom he would never think of as anything but, to take him in as the Hero he truly was.

The former Princess in question was still too stunned to speak. Her mouth was hanging open, her eyes wide in surprise, and her hands seemed welded to the arms of her throne.

Link chuckled again. "I know it's coming as a bit of a surprise, but I'm back, Your Majesty. Ready to resume my post by your side as Your Hero." He bawdily winked at her, a habit picked up from his time with the Tribe Without a Name, a group well-known in other areas of the world for their lewd behaviors, behaviors which he himself had refused to indulge.

She unfroze at the gesture, returning to her senses. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her jaw tightened, something that only happened when she was about to start screaming.

The legendary Queen of Hyrule did not disappoint.

"WHO ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! COMING BACK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, ALL THE PAIN YOU PUT ME THROUGH, AND THEN WALTZING IN AS IF NOTHING HAD EVERE HAPPENED!" She took a deep breath, preparing to begin roaring anew, but then Link did something that would have put a look of astonishment on the face of Nabooru.

The arrogant Hero laughed. Laughed. In the face of one of the most powerful monarchs in the world.

He nearly fell over, the gales of laughter erupting from him in force. His merriment did not cease for several minutes, reaching the point of absurdity. Finally, the returned Hero managed to collect himself, straightening and wiping a tear from his eye.

"Ah, Zel, you never fail to disappoint. Now, if I remember correctly, one of the powers granted to me by holding the position of Guard of the Vessel of Light is the right to dismiss court, providing I then receive the consent of the reigning power of the land my body currently occupies. Which, in this case, happens to be you, Zel. What do ya say? Can't we drop the formalities?"

Zelda ground her teeth heavily before replying. "As you seem to have already done so with your speech, I suppose we could indeed drop the formalities… Hero."

Link laughed merrily again. "Good! It'll be just like old times!"

* * *

**A/N: I got a couple comments suggesting that I should lessen Link's snotty attitude a bit, and I wanted to clarify what I was doing there.**

**In this story, Link isn't just the former savior of Hyrule and Termina. He isn't just the Hero of Time.**

**He's a total and complete badass who pwns everyone he meets. **

**And, after years of going through this, it's starting to get to him.**

**This isn't supposed to be the Link and Zelda you see in the games. This is a grittier, more human Link, one who has very human character flaws, as well as a sadder, less forgiving Zelda. You'll see more of that from both of them throughout the story.**

**Basically, I'm taking the legendary Hero of Time and simultaneously making him more and less human at the same time.**

**I'm also sorry for any confusion on the court proceedings. I completely made those up on the spot, so if you have any questions there, feel free to PM me.**

**Finally, I apologize to everyone who might be offended by the current attitude of the great Hero of Time. As I said before, it's part of the story, but you have no idea how much it pains me to bring Link down to our level as best I can. I hate it. But it's a challenge to my writing skills that is going to make me better, so I'm going to do my best to pull through. **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

The Princess was still glaring at him.

He should've known better. When he had planned out his arrival, he had expected initial anger, but eventual forgiveness. And from there, things would have progressed… favorably.

Alas, the fickle heart of the woman is never trustworthy; though you return for her love, she only presents wrath.

After the dismissal of the court, he had been led by the fuming royal to the private conference room, reserved for meetings that were unfit for the prying eyes of the Hyrulean nobility.

And for the past five minutes, the princess had done nothing but glare at him from across the elegant mahogany table, adorned with symbols, plants, animals, and triangles, all representing the all-powerful goddesses. He had refrained from tracing those patterns with his eyes out of boredom, determined to match the passion in Zelda's eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she rose from her high-backed chair, folded her hands in front of her, and practically glided over to the young hero. She settled her violet gaze upon him once more, and, for a fraction of a second, her eyes narrowed.

SLAP!

Link's face didn't move, even with the admittedly powerful force that had emanated from the princess' arm. A red hand mark had already blossomed on his face, but the pain was insignificant.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Again, Link didn't move. It didn't even take focus. He had faced down far more dangerous situations in far worse conditions than this. A few simple smacks across his cheek were not going to break him.

Zelda raised her hand one last time, reared back, and then her resolve faltered. Instead of moving forward in that powerful arc, her right hand made for his face in a straight line, followed closely behind by her other one.

And instead of giving him to giant bruises, the hands caressed his weathered face and her mouth moved to his, slanting across his lips for the first time with an ease and practice that belonged to a couple of countless anniversaries.

_Hm,_ thought the hero as his arms circled around the princess. _Maybe I didn't need that big welcome after all._


End file.
